1. EMBOFF SPOKE WITH PETER BULL, FCO, ABOUT EUROPEAN
INMARSAT MEETING. HE SAID THAT SINCE U.S. PAPER NOT
AVAILABLE IN TIME FOR MEETING, EUROPEANS HAD SPENT MOST
OF THEIR TIME DISCUSSING PAPERS, SUBMITTED BY SEVERAL
COUNTRIES, WHICH RELATED TO EXISTING DRAFT TEXT AND
TRYING TO HARMONIZE THEIR POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO
THAT TEXT. EUROPEANS, HE SAID, HAD NOT REALIZED THAT
U.S. HAD IN MIND SUBMITTING EXTENSIVE AND DETAILED RE-
VISION OF EXISTING TEXT. WE ASSUME THAT TO THAT
EXTENT, DUTCH (AND PERHAPS OTHER EUROPEANS) SURPRISE
MAY BE JUSTIFIED.
2. U.S. DRAFTS DID NOT REACH EMBASSY UNTIL AFTERNOON
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PAGE 02 LONDON 14480 181935Z
SEPT. 16 AND WERE PASSED TO FCO SAME DAY. BULL SAID
PRELIMINARY BRITISH REACTION UPON FIRST SEEING NEW U.S.
DRAFT WAS: (A) IS NEW DRAFT ANOTHER ATTEMPT BY U.S.
TO FURTHER DELAY PROGRESS ON INMARSAT; (B) WILL ITS
CONTENTS UPSET NEGOTIATING PACKAGE BROADLY AGREED AMONG
WESTERN COUNTRIES AND JAPAN AT LAST SESSION OF INMARSAT
CONFERENCE; AND (C) WHAT IS LIKELY SOVIET REACTION TO
ITS CONTENTS. BULL SAID UKG PRESENTLY STUDYING U.S.
DRAFT BUT HAS NOT YET HAD TIME TO FORM OPINION AS TO ITS
CONTENTS. HE SAID HE HAD QUICKLY READ THROUGH DRAFT AND
HAD NOT BEEN SURPRISED BY CHANGES IT CONTAINED BUT HE
COULD NOT GIVE US UKG REACTION UNTIL FCO LAWYERS AND
OTHER AGENCIES HAD SUBMITTED COMMENTS. EUROPEANS WILL
MEET IN LONDON OCTOBER 15 TO DISCUSS U.S. DRAFT.
RICHARDSON
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Raw content

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PAGE 01 LONDON 14480 181935Z
47
ACTION EB-07
INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 ISO-00 L-03 CCO-00 CIAE-00 OTPE-00
FCC-01 INR-07 NSAE-00 OC-05 USIA-06 COME-00 BIB-01
DODE-00 DOTE-00 FMC-01 CG-00 OFA-01 DLOS-04 OIC-02
IO-10 /061 W
--------------------- 026032
P R 181925Z SEP 75
FM AMEMBASSY LONDON
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4882
INFO AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY OSLO
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE LONDON 14480
OSLO FOR TOM TALERICO, USDEL TO INMARSAT WG
E.O. 11652: N/A
TAGS: ETEL, IMCO, UK
SUBJ: INMARSAT
REF: STATE 221779
1. EMBOFF SPOKE WITH PETER BULL, FCO, ABOUT EUROPEAN
INMARSAT MEETING. HE SAID THAT SINCE U.S. PAPER NOT
AVAILABLE IN TIME FOR MEETING, EUROPEANS HAD SPENT MOST
OF THEIR TIME DISCUSSING PAPERS, SUBMITTED BY SEVERAL
COUNTRIES, WHICH RELATED TO EXISTING DRAFT TEXT AND
TRYING TO HARMONIZE THEIR POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO
THAT TEXT. EUROPEANS, HE SAID, HAD NOT REALIZED THAT
U.S. HAD IN MIND SUBMITTING EXTENSIVE AND DETAILED RE-
VISION OF EXISTING TEXT. WE ASSUME THAT TO THAT
EXTENT, DUTCH (AND PERHAPS OTHER EUROPEANS) SURPRISE
MAY BE JUSTIFIED.
2. U.S. DRAFTS DID NOT REACH EMBASSY UNTIL AFTERNOON
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
PAGE 02 LONDON 14480 181935Z
SEPT. 16 AND WERE PASSED TO FCO SAME DAY. BULL SAID
PRELIMINARY BRITISH REACTION UPON FIRST SEEING NEW U.S.
DRAFT WAS: (A) IS NEW DRAFT ANOTHER ATTEMPT BY U.S.
TO FURTHER DELAY PROGRESS ON INMARSAT; (B) WILL ITS
CONTENTS UPSET NEGOTIATING PACKAGE BROADLY AGREED AMONG
WESTERN COUNTRIES AND JAPAN AT LAST SESSION OF INMARSAT
CONFERENCE; AND (C) WHAT IS LIKELY SOVIET REACTION TO
ITS CONTENTS. BULL SAID UKG PRESENTLY STUDYING U.S.
DRAFT BUT HAS NOT YET HAD TIME TO FORM OPINION AS TO ITS
CONTENTS. HE SAID HE HAD QUICKLY READ THROUGH DRAFT AND
HAD NOT BEEN SURPRISED BY CHANGES IT CONTAINED BUT HE
COULD NOT GIVE US UKG REACTION UNTIL FCO LAWYERS AND
OTHER AGENCIES HAD SUBMITTED COMMENTS. EUROPEANS WILL
MEET IN LONDON OCTOBER 15 TO DISCUSS U.S. DRAFT.
RICHARDSON
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE
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